Belgium – Attacks – EU – Mogherini – Jordan – Diplomacy – Refugee

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Tuesday’s blasts in Brussels marked a “very sad day” for Europe, saying on a visit to Jordan it was now suffering like the Middle East.

“It is ... a very sad day for Europe as Europe and its capital is suffering the same pain that this region has known and knows every single day,” she said tearfully at a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.

She said it was already clear that the blasts at Brussels airport and a metro station near the EU headquarters were attacks that resulted from radicalization, and called for European and Middle Eastern leaders to work together to tackle the scourge.

“We are still waiting for more precise news on the dynamics of the attacks in Brussels but it is quite clear the roots of the pain we are suffering around our region are very much the same,” she said.

“We are united in not only suffering ... but also reacting to these acts and preventing radicalization and violence together.

“Being here together is the most powerful message of strength and friendship among our people that we can pass to those who would like to divide us.”

At least 21 people were killed in the triple blasts in the Belgian capital, which came days after the dramatic arrest by Brussels police of Salah Abdeslam — the prime suspect in Paris attacks claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS / ISIL / Daesh) group which killed 130 people in November, AFP reported.